Words of Advice to Young Men, Title page – Dedication
WORDS OF ADVICE TO Young Men.
DELIVERED IN TWO SERMONS At Two Conventions of YOUNG MEN, The one Decemb. 25. 1666. The other Decemb. 25. 1667.
By THOMAS VINCENT, sometime Minister of Maudlins Milk-street, London.
Prov. 8. 17. I love them that love me, and those that seek me Early shall finde me.
Psal. 119. 9. Wherewith shall a Young Man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy Word.
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Parkhurst, 1668.
TO THE Youth of the City of LONDON.
THE Lord having given me so great room in so many of your hearts, I am the more encouraged to put these few words of Advice into your hands: Upon your request they were preached in your Ears, and it is for your benefit that they are now presented to your Eyes.
Vox audita perit, litera scripta manet.
That which you only hear, you may quickly forget, and so the words with the sound perish in the Air; when written, especially printed words abide, and may bring to your remembrance the things which you have heard long ago: But if you would have these words in these sheets abide indeed with you, better than if they were engraven upon a rock, and written with a Pen of Iron, and point of a Diamond, you must get them transcribed and reprinted, I mean upon your hearts. Your hearts as yet in a great measure, are a rasa tabula, like a fair table, or white sheet of Paper in which little is written; Do not furrow the Table with Conscience-wounding sins; do not blot and besmear the Paper with the defilements of Lust: But get the Law of God engraven upon the Table of your hearts, and the Counsels of the most High given you out of his Word written upon the white sheet within you. It is true, the youngest of you are defiled with Original sin, and are grown more foul with Actual transgressions, which none of you can in whole excuse your selves from, however for the present you may be free from the more gross pollutions of the World, and not arrived to that degree and height of wickedness, which the audacious sinners of this vicious Age have attained unto: But if you would get the Word written in your hearts, it will both make you clean, and keep you clean, Psal. 119. 9. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy Word. And v. 11. Thy Word have I hid in my hear…, that I may not sin against thee.
Dear Youths, my love is great unto your Souls, and my desires are earnest after your salvation; it rejoyceth my heart to see so many of your faces in my Auditory here, it will more rejoyce me, if I may see all those faces in Heaven at last; and truly I hope that many of you will be my Crown and Glory in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ; therefore it is that I preach, therefore I have written these Words of Advice unto you, the chief heads of which are, 1. That you would seek First the Kingdom of God, where alone your chief happiness doth lye, as the End. 2. That you would seek the Righteousness of God, which is in his Son, that it might be imputed unto you for your Justification, and that it might be imparted unto you for your Renovation and Sanctification, as the necessary Means to attain this End, without which there is no possibility of admittance for you into the Kingdom of God. 3. That (having obtained Grace in the truth of it) you would labour to grow in Grace, and to be strong therein, that you might be enabled both to do and suffer whatever God calleth you unto. 4. That you would get acquainted with the Word of God, and endeavour that it may abide and dwell in you richly, as the choicest of all Treasures. 5. That you would labour to overcome the Wicked one, and all his temptations, whereby he would draw you unto sin, especially those sins which in Youth you are most inclinable unto.
Beloved young men, you live in the dregs of times, in a wicked and debauched generation; take heed of following a multitude to do evil; save your selves from their sins, as you desire God should save you from their punishments. Come out from amongst them, if you cannot in regard of your place, be sure to do it in regard of your course and practice; refrain too familiar converse with the wicked and profane; let your Companions be such as fear the Lord; walk in the way of Good Men; take that course as the most do that seem to be most serious, and to have their faces towards Heaven. I have endeavoured to answer and remove the chief prejudices which are raised to discourage and divert from this way: You may safely and confidently venture into it, and walk in it, and you will finde (whatever the oppositions and discouragements be therein) the end of it to be peace and happiness. The Lord grant that this Book may be a Means to keep you from sin, and help you forward in the way to Heaven, which is the desire and prayer of
Your faithfull Monitor, and dear Lover of your Souls, T. Vincent.